With the passage of No Child Left Behind in 2001 and the development of the New Freedom Initiative, a commitment was made to provide individuals with disabilities with a high-quality education and to ensure that persons with disabilities, as stated in Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, have an "equal opportunity to participate" and an "equal opportunity to benefit from" service.

Increasing Rates of School Completion: Moving from Policy and Research to Practice provides a synthesis of research-based dropout prevention and intervention and offers examples of interventions that show evidence of effectiveness.

National Collaborative for Workforce and Disability is a source for information about employment for youth with disabilities in the Juvenile Corrections System. The Guideposts are a framework to assist the multiple organizations that need to be involved to meet the needs and improve the transition outcomes of youth involved with the juvenile corrections system and to create necessary community webs of support.

The Social Security Administration's Youth Transition Demonstration Projects report from the Social Security Administration (SSA) provides a past and current work conducted under its Youth Transition Demonstration (YTD) projects that are part of a broader initiative to encourage disability beneficiaries to return to work. The demonstration provides youth ages 14 through 25 with employment-related services and waivers of certain rules governing the Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance programs.

Noteworthy Practices

National League of Cities' Institute for Youth, Education, and Families is the oldest and largest national organization representing municipal government throughout the United States. Its mission is to strengthen and promote cities as centers of opportunity, leadership, and governance. NLC's Youth In Transition program provides information on its network of support specific to the needs of youth in transition, such as those in the juvenile justice system to help them re-connect to mainstream activities, such as jobs, as well as to supports such as caring adults and social and health services and housing.

Connecticut's Community Education, Training & EmploymentAdult Training & Development Network provides training and technical assistance to adult educators and employment counselors in Connecticut, including assistance in working with adults with disabilities.

Career-Focused Services for Students with Disabilities at Community Colleges report discusses the promising practices of community colleges in six statesKentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Washington, and Texasto function as intermediaries in meeting the local workforce development needs of employers and promoting career opportunities and job attainment for students, including those with disabilities.

Florida Division of Workforce DevelopmentAdult General Education Frameworks describes the basic modules of Florida's Adult Education program, including Adult General Education for Adults with Disabilities.